Cista Design Inc. Selects Kilopass OTP NVM for Next Generation CMOS Image Sensor on SMIC Independently Developed 130nm Back Side Illumination Technology Platform

Update: Synopsys Expands DesignWare IP Portfolio with Acquisition of Kilopass Technology (Jan. 10, 2018)

Kilopass XPM IP Provides Analog and Mixed Signal Trimming and CMOS Image Sensor Pixel Mapping Data Storage

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 06, 2017 -- Kilopass Technology Inc., a leading provider of semiconductor logic embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM) intellectual property (IP), today announced that Cista Design Inc., a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions for mobile handsets, consumer electronics and surveillance camera markets; has licensed Kilopass XPM one-time programmable (OTP), anti-fuse, NVM memory IP. Cista Design will include the Kilopass IP in a new CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) being fabbed on the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC") (NYSE:SMI) (SEHK:981) independently developed 130nm back-side illumination (BSI) technology platform. Kilopass OTP IP will store trimming data for the analog and mixed signal circuits in addition to pixel mapping data for the new Cista Design CIS chip.

Wilson Du, CEO and President of Cista System Corp. stated, “We needed a reliable intellectual property vendor of OTP NVM for the SMIC 130nm BIS process node. The low leakage SMIC process uses three aluminum metal layers for reduced cost and supports pixel sizes down to 1.4-micron for implementing our 8MP resolution CIS. We chose Kilopass because of its availability on the SMIC process and their reputation as a vendor with a breadth of offerings on the major foundries worldwide."

“We are thrilled that Cista Design chose our OTP NVM for their CMOS image sensor,” said Charlie Cheng, president and CEO of Kilopass Technology. “The CIS market is both high volume and experiencing dramatic growth thanks to the multiple cameras being built into mobile phones and especially in automobiles. Our OTP NVM is well suited for chips targeting these markets, where each chip coming off the assembly line is programmed at test time with parameters that need to be written once and never changed.”

About Cista

Cista is a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions. Its CMOS imaging technology enables superior image quality in many of today's consumer and commercial applications, including smart phones, notebooks, tablets and webcams, digital still and video cameras, security and surveillance, entertainment devices, automotive, and medical imaging systems. Find out more at www.cistadesign.com

About SMIC

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC") (NYSE:SMI) (SEHK:981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China. SMIC provides integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 28-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm mega-fab in Shanghai; a 300mm mega-fab and a second majority owned 300mm fab under development for advance nodes in Beijing; and 200mm fabs in Tianjin and Shenzhen. SMIC also has marketing and customer service offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.smics.com.

About Kilopass

Kilopass Technology, Inc., a leading supplier of embedded NVM intellectual property using standard logic CMOS processes to deliver one-time programmable (OTP) and few-time programmable (FTP) memory. With more than 60 patents granted or pending and more than 3,000,000 wafers shipped from a dozen foundries and Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), Kilopass has 170 customers in applications ranging from storage of firmware and security codes to calibration data and other application-critical information. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, visit www.kilopass.com or email info@kilopass.com.